More Topics

Weather Forecast

Letter: Thanks for the tournament

By Dion Warne, Pennock on Oct 6, 2010 at 12:00 a.m.

Just a month ago the state amateur baseball tournament concluded on a drizzly Labor Day Monday with an exciting extra inning game. That day wrapped up four years of planning, months of meetings, hundreds of phone calls and e-mails and no doubt a lot of prayers for good weather to bring the cities of Willmar, Bird Island and Spicer this premier baseball event.

Whenever you publicly thank people for something you run the risk of overlooking someone; however, I would thank Jon Rambow and Mary Sawatzky for their tireless efforts to secure the tournament and make it a resounding success. I would like to thank the tournament committee for all of their time and organizational skills. I would like to thank Ken Nelson and his crew from Public Works for having Taunton Stadium in tip-top shape. I would like to thank all the hundreds of other volunteers that worked for all or parts of three weekends to show people from all over the state what a fine ballpark and city we have.

Baseball fans benefitted by watching quality play from crafty 40-year-olds to speedy 19-year-olds. The local businesses befitted by having thousands of baseball fans, mostly from out of town, eat, buy gas, shop and stay at their establishments. Youth baseball and fast-pitch softball players will benefit for years to come from the improvements the Willmar Baseball and Fast Pitch Softball Association will be able make to the local diamonds with the proceeds from the event.

So on behalf of this baseball fan, businessman, and father to ball players, I certainly appreciate all the efforts of everyone involved. Thanks for bringing the tournament to Willmar.